Of Mothers and Children
by MarilynnRae
Summary: Somewhat sequel to Reaching Out. Takes place in Season 3 and follows the episodes. Rusty wants to help his mother while Riley wants nothing to do with her. Sharon has taught them what a mother can be and Riley doesn't think her mother is capable.
1. Chapter 1

_**This is the sorta sequel to Reaching Out. I don't think it's necessary to read that one first because I give a lot of the details and need to know things in this story, but you may read if you wish. By the way, I follow pretty close to the storyline, so things that happened in Season 2 will probably be mentioned. **_

The last two years had a much different impact on Rusty and Riley than Sharon would have thought. They had grown into completely different people, but they were definitely wonderful. Since the Stroh trail was over, it was no secret the entire household slept a lot sounder.

Riley came out of her bedroom, stretching her arms and back as Sharon offered her a tired smile. "Sleep well?" Sharon asked as the now eighteen year old padded her way over to the coffee machine and poured herself a cup. It amused Sharon that Riley's morning routine almost mimicked her own. Two years of living with her and Riley was every bit her daughter as Emily and Rusty was every bit her son as Ricky.

The girl shrugged as she turned back around to face Sharon. Phantom had already made herself comfortable by the door of the apartment. Perhaps the one being in the house that didn't sleep sounder since the Stroh trial was their trusty German Shepherd who seemed on as high alert as ever. No stranger was going to get through that door without going through her first.

Sharon frowned as she watched Riley plop down at the kitchen table and grab her iPad out of bag to catch up on the news. Something was bothering the girl.

"What's going on?" she probed gently, joining her at the table. Sharon's hands reached out and combed through Riley's hair. Rusty's love language wasn't physical affection. His was more along the lines of hearing and accepting him. Riley needed the human touch. It was part of what made her so close to Sharon.

Almost instantly Riley leaned into Sharon's touch. "Just tired, I think," Riley lied halfheartedly making Sharon frown at her.

Before she could ask another question, Rusty was rushing out of his bedroom with his backpack pulled onto his shoulder. "Come on Riley, we have to go."

Sharon offered Rusty a smile as he rushed past her into the kitchen to steal a muffin off the plate. "Good morning, Rusty." Her voice was light as she watched him take a huge bite of his muffin.

"Morning," he replied quickly, not really making eye contact with her as he grabbed the keys off the table. "Ready Riley?"

"And where are you going?" Sharon asked in her usual calm tone. She normally didn't pry much with their whereabouts, knowing that they were smart kids who kept out of trouble, but they seemed to be in a rather big hurry.

Rusty fumbled in his steps as he looked at her for the first time that morning. "Errands. But we really have to go, right Riley?"

He barely gave her time to nod before he was headed for the door. Riley dumped out her coffee mug and placed it in the dishwasher as she grabbed her backpack off the back of the chair.

"Aren't you going to eat any breakfast?" Sharon asked as Riley moved toward the door after her brother.

"Not hungry," she mumbled.

Sharon shot her a pointed look. "Riley…"

A dramatic sigh puffed out of the girl while she drug her feet back into the kitchen and snatched a muffin off the plate. Shooting her guardian an _happy now? _glance Riley headed back for the door.

Obviously something was going on with those two. Sharon knew their quirks better than anyone now and there was no hiding things from her. She sighed and shook her head. Sometimes she took a few moments to be grateful her age gave her wisdom and patience, because she definitely needed a hefty dose of both for those two.

_Major Crimes_

Rusty led the way as he walked through the halls of the rehab toward his mother's room. The atmosphere gave both teenagers chills. It looked a little too much like hotels they had been in before, and smelled like them too. Rusty jumped when Riley reached out for his arm. She was shorter than him by several inches and she was small. Still, she had proven her fierceness when it was needed.

Yet, as her brother, he knew he should be the protector. He offered her a small comforting look as they headed toward the room.

Chills ran through both their bodies as they stood in front of the white door that had been worn in a way that no amount of paint could cover. State facilities.

Rusty was just preparing to open the door when it flew open revealing a young black woman looking fragile and angry. Her dark eyes barely focused on the two kids with a look that was mixed between confusion and frustration.

Rusty on the other hand felt distraught. "I-I'm sorry. We must-uh-"

"Rusty?"

The woman in front of them pushed past them revealing a frail looking familiar face. It had been two years, but she had aged ten. Drugs did that to people, Rusty recalled sadly. "Mom?" he called, as though he needed to make sure it was really her as Riley turned her head away from them.

Rusty had mixed feeling toward his mother, but he still wanted her to be a part of his life. Riley on the other hand was less forgiving. At the moment, she was there for Rusty, not Sharon Beck. Not her mother.

Sharon Beck rushed toward the boy, pulling him into her arms with all the dramatic tears in suit. Riley had to keep herself from scowling. It was like she was clinging to Rusty for life support. Like he was the only thing keeping her on her feet. Typical. As shameful as it was, she could help but compare Sharons. This Sharon sought support from her children, their Sharon only supported them.

"You've gotten taller," Sharon Beck mused tearfully, running her hand through Rusty's hair and almost combing it in his face. "And you look so grown up."

Rusty smiled awkwardly while Riley still stood in the doorway. It took a second, but sure enough Sharon Beck zoned in on her. She sighed as she looked over Rusty's shoulder at her. "Riley," she sighed as her mouth pulled into some sort of tear fighting frown. "You're beautiful."

She opened one arm to her while the other stayed around Rusty. Riley didn't move, instead she defensively crossed her arms. She stepped into the room, but moved further away from the women. This was not where she wanted to be. As far as she was concerned, Riley was not a part of that woman's family anymore.

"You said you wanted to see us," Rusty began, moving away from the woman in his usual awkward way. If Riley had to choose a word to describe her brother, it would probably be awkward. He had a good heart, but he spent so much time protect her and himself that he didn't know what to do when he felt something with it.

Sharon Beck nodded tearfully. "I did. I wanted to show you that I'm trying." She smiled at him and dared a glance at Riley that was only met with an icier shoulder. "They-uh-fixed my teeth and I'm getting clean and sober. I'm trying to be better. For all of us."

Riley scoffed and shook her head. Sharon Beck glanced at her and her eyes narrowed dangerously. It was a look Riley used to fear but not it just annoyed her more. This frail woman didn't scare her anymore. The existence of the woman just pissed her off. She left three years ago and had been pretty well off the map until they were legal adults and was eating on someone else's tab? No. She didn't have to put up with that.

"Riley," Rusty whispered pleadingly. He wanted her to try, but Riley didn't keep giving chances. She'd save her forgiveness for people who deserved it.

"I'll wait outside," she replied coldly, already heading for the door.

She didn't wait inside the building, but instead found a bench outside. It wasn't the best area, and Sharon would have probably have not been keen on the idea of her loitering alone in front of a building full of rehabilitating drug addicts.

Riley took out her phone and flipped it out to check her messages. As annoying as it was, no one really texted her but her brother and the guys from Major Crimes. Well, and Kevin Toa, but that's another story entirely and one that no one could ever know about.

But it was there that she waited, completely silent, until Rusty came out. He knew better than to lecture her, but he had no shame in filling her in on all the detail that he had learned about their mother. How she was arrested. How what's-his-face was forever out of the picture. How she was getting clean. Then it all boiled down to what she needed from them.

"It's just sixty dollars," Rusty argued as they walked into the LAPD building and gave the officer at the front desk a wave. They saw his face every day, but they had no idea what his name was. Riley made a mental note to ask sometime.

"Yeah, and where are we going to get sixty dollars? It's not like I can take my piano down to the front of the building and play for tips," Riley shot back as she jabbed impatiently at the elevator button.

"No, but…" Rusty groaned. "Maybe you can just not go to piano lessons for the month…"

Riley stopped jabbing to send her brother a death glare. He raised his hands in defeat. "Okay, bad idea."

The silent mutual agreement of not asking Sharon did not have to be discussed. That was simply out of the question. Sharon Raydor had already done more than enough for Sharon Beck, even if it wasn't always directly. Plus, there was no way they would risk hurting Sharon with the information that their mother was making contact.

Riley huffed and crossed her arms as the elevator doors opened. A delivery man with a large bouquet of flowers rushed on at the last minute.

"Those are beautiful," Riley commented, instinctively brushing her hands over the velvet petals.

"They're for a Detective Sikes in Major Crimes. Lucky gal. This bunch is _expensive_," the man responded unenthusiastically.

Rusty shot Riley a look. The idea confused Rusty as much as it excited Riley. "That's where we're going!" Riley announced with a big smile. "We can take them for you."

The guy handed the flowers over to Rusty and rolled his shoulders like they were giving him problems. "Thank kids."

As they exit the elevator and head down the hall toward the offices, Riley feels lighter than she had all day. The burden of the secret weighed heavy on her shoulders, but she was in good company now. These were people who she could trust and knew they would never let anything hurt her. She had seen them prove it on more than one occasion.

They walked in right in the middle of an argument with Taylor which they were wise enough to keep quiet during until he moved into Sharon's office. Riley silently cursed. She really wanted to apologize to Sharon about the way she acted earlier, but it would have to wait until later.

Provenza was the first to notice them, or maybe he just noticed the flowers. "Ah, Mr. Beck, you shouldn't have," he gushed dramatically as Rusty walked the flowers into the room.

"I didn't. They're for Detective Sykes. We were riding up the elevator with the delivery guy-"

"Aren't they beautiful?" Riley asked, following Rusty as he set them on her desk. She tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear as she leaned in to sniff them.

Andy Flynn smiled at the girl. "I'm sure one day someone will buy you flowers."

Julio nodded. "And the day that happens is they day we all get an earful from the Captain for misusing police resources. Not just anyone can send Riley flowers."

The girl blushed as she smiled at the member of the team. Her eyes focused on Andy. "You wouldn't let them do that, would you?" she asked.

Rusty had Provenza for all fatherly things, Riley had Andy. At times it was clear that she had him wrapped around her little finger like many fathers with their daughters. Sharon even had to get on to him a few times for spoiling the kids. He couldn't buy Riley something without buying Rusty something and unfortunately there were so many things that just reminded him of Riley.

Provenza snorted. "Are you kidding? He'd be the one on the stakeout in front of the guy's house."

Riley frowned good-naturedly before running her fingers over the petals of the roses again.

"To what do we owe this pleasure of seeing you two on this Saturday morning after so many weeks away?" Provenza teased.

It was true, they had been missing in action some for the last couple weeks, but it was because they were honestly busy. They were about to graduate from high school! A summer behind everyone else their age, but hey they were going to do it. Even better, they were going to do it on the honor rolled. Rusty wasn't pleased with his SAT score so he was taking it again, but Riley scored high enough to be accepted into CSU's music and arts program so she was content. Riley had piano lessons, Rusty had chess and they both had Dr. Joe.

"We've been really busy," Riley defended.

"Actually," Rusty looked at the older man with some hesitation. "I was kinda hoping I could talk to you."

It only took an instant for Riley to realize what he was referring to and she settled him with a very disapproving look. One in which he shot back at her.

"About an important… event… that's going on in my personal life?" It definitely sounded like a question, but it was meant to be a statement. Whatever it was, it practically sent Provenza running.

Suddenly he was too busy to talk. Provenza suddenly took off with the case leaving Rusty looking stunned and frustrated. Riley smirked feeling slightly victorious. The longer it took them to scrape up the money for the toothbrush, the longer it would take them to go back to see their mother.

"They're busy," Riley said as she moved away from the flowers. "We can come back tomorrow. Or Monday. Monday is probably better. I best they'll still be working on the case tomorrow…"

Stalling. She may have been stalling.

Rusty frowned, but he knew she was right.

It was annoying to deal with his pouting all the way home. Why was he wanting to help the woman? Riley simply could not understand. She sat up, waiting on the couch hoping that Sharon would come home at some decent hour so she could ask her to explain why this was happening. Sharon knew the answers to most of her questions. Even questions that there weren't really answers to, Sharon had the answer.

Unfortunately Sharon didn't get home before Riley fell asleep on the couch with Phantom taking up more of it than she was.

It was only about noon, but Riley was apparently more emotionally exhausted than she realized. She startled awake when she felt something brush her face. Her eyes refused to open as the feeling of soft fingers gently tracing her cheek bones and pushing her hair off her shoulder continued.

There was the ever telling sound of a sad sigh that Riley knew.

With great determination, Riley pried her eyes open to see Sharon stand up from where she was kneeling a moment ago and shake her head like she did when something was on her mind.

"Sharon?" Riley yawned rubbing her eyes as Phantom jumped off the couch to follow her other master into the kitchen.

The older woman stopped and looked down at Riley as she stretched and stood up. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. Headache?"

Riley shook her head. Most of the time when Riley took naps in the middle of the day it was because she had one of her legendary migraines that had landed her in the ER not long after she had moved in with Sharon. Now she was on daily medication for them. It didn't always keeps them away, but when they came they were less severe. She hadn't had a bad one in months.

"You okay?" she asked as Sharon started to move down the hall to her bedroom. Riley followed and took a seat on her bed while Sharon searched for a change of clothes. It was difficult to hide her frown when she realized Sharon wasn't changing into her home clothes, but instead more work clothes.

"Yeah-Yes…" Sharon sighed. "We just had a break in our case so I thought I'd come home, shower, and change." Then she turned to Riley who was sitting on her bed with her knees pulled up to her chest. The girl's eyes were distant and it was easy to see she was disappointed. "Are _you_ alright, honey?"

At the ever adored pet name, Riley refocused her gaze. It was written all over her face that no, she was not okay, and she needed Sharon to make things better. "Uh…" she began awkwardly.

Sharon's phone began to ring but she made no motion toward it. Instead she kept her gaze focused gently on Riley. "You can answer that," Riley told her, knowing that whatever the case was about was more important than her problem.

"Are you sure?" Sharon asked, still not making a move toward the phone. Riley nodded, her gaze falling to the floor as she watched Sharon's feet move toward the bed next to her where she had apparently tossed her phone when she walked in. "Captain Raydor," she answered in her business tone. She kicked off her heels and sat down beside Riley. Gentle fingers played with the ends of Riley's hair that fell on her back while Sharon hummed and gave short answers of yes and no to whoever she was on the phone with. It was ended with a prompt thank you, before Sharon hung up with another sigh.

"Long day?" Riley asked, leaning into the touch of her hands.

"Two children dead," Sharon hummed sadly as she shook her head.

Two children, little children, dead. Two children that would never play again, or laugh, or hug their mother again. The idea was making Sharon want to hold onto Rusty and Riley, call Emily and Ricky, and just hear their voices. She had already noticed Rusty wasn't home, but she would reach out to the child that was sitting so close to her now.

Riley's face turned to study Sharon's. Big blue eyes scanned the ever stoic features of her foster mother, searching for the subtleness of whatever Sharon needed. When she saw the pain, she reacted like Sharon would have for her.

Riley moved closer until her head rested against Sharon's shoulder and her arms wrapped around her waist. The tension released from Sharon's body as her hands continued to play in the blonde locks of Riley's hair.

"I'm sorry you're having a bad day," Riley whispered earnestly.

Sharon bit her lip as emotion flooded her. Her kids were safe. All four. And the moment she let go of Riley she was going to make sure.

With a final squeeze Sharon released her hold on the petite girl and quickly brushed her eyes as she reached for her phone in hope that Riley wouldn't notice.

It took two years for Riley to realize this was what mothers did. They were the strong ones. They hid their pain because they protected their kids. When mother's hugged their children, they try to hold whatever burden is on their child's shoulders on their own, not shrug it off onto theirs. Mothers ask if they're feeling okay when they do something a little out of character, mothers find comfort in their child's presence not presents, mothers… Mothers care.

Sharon Raydor cared about Riley and Rusty in a way that Sharon Beck never did.

That's why Sharon Beck was not Riley's mother. Sharon Raydor was.

Riley knew this, she just hoped that Rusty would see it soon too.


	2. Chapter 2

Riley had agreed that she would let Rusty wait for the right time to tell Sharon about their mother. Unfortunately Riley pretty well had to avoid Sharon for a solid day because Sharon just had a way of making her talk and tell her all the things that she really didn't mean to tell. Riley would like to say it was Sharon's cop abilities, but it may have also been her mom abilities.

When Monday afternoon rolled around, Provenza pulled both twins aside.

"We had a deal," Provenza said sharply in his lecturing tone. "The deal was I would give you money for your mother's electric tooth brush and you would tell Captain Raydor that your mother had _contacted you_."

"Which is why we need to reschedule this visit," Rusty argued, leaning against the wall. "I tried to find the right time to bring it up, but it didn't come along."

Riley rolled her eyes. "Liar. You wouldn't even let me say anything. You said that I whatever I would say would give Sharon the wrong idea."

Out of nowhere Sharon appeared around the corner, making both twins go frigid. "Wrong idea?" Sharon asked in that sugary sweet voice that bordered on dangers. "Wrong idea about what?"

"Well, uh, Captain," Provenza cleared his throat and gently pushed Riley and Rusty forward. "For what you are about to hear, I apologize."

It was one of the most sincere apologies Provenza had ever given Sharon and it made her a bit uneasy, but she tried to hide it as she turned her attention toward the twins. Riley was glaring at her brother with her arms cross while Rusty looked as though he wanted to disappear.

Rusty glanced away for a second before he began. The worry and nervousness in his voice made Sharon unsure if she was ready for whatever he was going to say. No matter, she was sure going to pretend to be.

"Uh, our mother is here," Rusty announced slowly.

The gentle smile on Sharon's face disappeared as she took a clumsy step back. No, she was not ready to hear that, and by the look on Riley's face she wasn't ready to deal with her mother either. Rusty on the other hand was trying because he loved his mother. Riley was refusing because she loved Sharon.

The pain was easy enough for Riley to see, but she said nothing.

"Well, not here. Actually in a rehab in Long Beach and I didn't tell you about it, and I should have. And I told Riley not to tell you because I thought that she may make the situation seem worse-"

Sharon glanced at Riley who rolled her eyes at Rusty's statement. Riley was bias, yes, but Sharon had the gift of seeing past bias. Then again, Riley's passion could sometimes blind side anyone. Though she could be dramatic, she is most effective with her subtle pain, when she quietly asks someone to fix her pain.

"And you've been to see her?" Sharon asked, glancing between the children.

"Riley went once, and I've been a couple times," Rusty replied sheepishly, unsure if she would approve. But Sharon was more shocked. "But listen- listen, she wants to make amends to everyone-you- as part of her recovery. And if you don't mind, Lieutenant Provenza and I can go pick her up right now and we could bring her here and she could apologize to get that over and out of the way."

"I'm still waiting on my apology," Riley grumbled.

"She apologized to you!"

"No. She said I was pretty."

Rusty shook his head and decided he probably wouldn't win with her at the moment so he moved on. "It'll only take few minutes, but um, I'd completely understand if you don't want to."

"It's not a problem at all," Sharon said trying to sound like the words were true. "I'm, uh, very surprised, of course. But I am looking forward to meeting the other Sharon in your life. And I'm glad that she's in rehab, Rusty."

It was a lie. A bold faced lie. Okay, she was glad that Sharon Beck was in rehab, but the rest of it was pretty well a lie. She never liked lying to her children, but sometimes supportive lies were what were best in parenting. It may have shocked Rusty but he looked relieved. Riley on the other hand looked like she had been slapped.

Rusty tilted his head trying to get a gauge on what Sharon was saying. "So bring her? Now?"

She nodded. "If you can, that would be good." Her eyes glanced to Provenza who looked a little uncomfortable with watching the situation.

"Okay then!" he announce clapping his hands together. "We better hurry. She only has a brief window to be out, I'll be back with her just as we can manage."

"Good." Sharon smiled at the two teenagers, but only Rusty returned it and it was halfhearted.

Riley scoffed at her, the heartbreak clear in her eyes before she turned around and marched away. It wasn't surprising to Sharon at all that Riley wanted nothing to do with her mother, in fact Riley probably didn't want anyone to give Sharon Beck forgiveness, much less time out of their busy day. Sharon sighed and looked at Rusty. "I'll talk to her."

"She won't listen," Rusty said with a shrug. Provenza shook his head as well. There was no secret that Riley was going to fight everything to do with her mother tooth and nail. He had already gotten a glimpse of it and they all saw it the last time their mother tried to come around. Riley held her grudge, and it wasn't going away anytime soon.

Sharon looked at Rusty in that gentle way she did when she knew he was hurting. He still had hope for their happy family, even though it looked like it would never happen. He wanted the idea that he could have that with his mother while Riley had given up all hope of their mother bringing anything but pain back into their lives.

"I'll still talk to her," Sharon told him. Then she gave him that slightly humored as well as sarcastic smile. "She can _sometimes_ be reasoned with."

They exchanged a knowing look before Sharon headed in the direction Riley left in. She turned the corner and found Riley in the break room stuffing a dollar into the vending machine before harshly punching in the numbers. Sharon smirked when a small bag of Chips Ahoy cookies fell to the bottom.

She was aware Sharon was there, but she didn't want to acknowledge her first. Obviously Sharon needed to make the first move or else Riley would cleverly sidestep everything she could.

Sharon moved over to the cabinets and pulled out the kettle. Filling it with water and setting it on the stove, she could feel Riley watching her out of the corner of her eye as she plopped down in one of the more comfortable chairs.

As she waited for her water to boil, she dared to take a seat right beside Riley. Her eyes were gentle as she studied the girl. She thought about the changes the girl had gone through in the last three years of her life. From abusive home, abandoned by her mother, worked on the street, sent to a foster home where she was raped, then moving in with Sharon. She lost a friend shortly after that, and then Rusty's threats that Riley had to deal with as well.

Yet, she was happier. She had a glow to her. Her hair had grown long and she wore it in curls now, finding a peace in her beauty. She had found her love of music and acting. She was even the lead in the last semester musical My Fair Lady. The entire team came to see her. She even took dance classes just for extra base and really loved it. It even gave her things to talk to Emily about.

Though Riley and Emily had similar interests, they were still very different. Just like all her kids. They were the four corners of the world at times.

Sharon took a deep breath. "Sharon Beck-"

"Don't say she's my mother," Riley shot harshly shooting a hell freezing glare at her.

A knot grew in Sharon's throat that the sheer pain Riley was trying to cover up. She honestly thought Riley would have been the first of the twins to say I love you since she was always the first to show affection. But it seemed that Riley could not actually will herself to say those things. She could not put her heart out there even to Sharon… especially to Sharon at times. Children need mothers and when mothers burn their children it sometimes makes that part of their hearts raw for a long time.

There usually weren't any doubts where Sharon stood in Riley's eyes, but times like these made Sharon question what was really going on in that girl's head.

Riley turned her head when she realized she hurt Sharon.

"I'm sorry," Riley muttered. "But I know this is just going to end badly again!"

The last time Sharon Beck made contact with her kids a bus ticket was bought for her but she never showed up. Riley didn't want to see her then, but by the time they were expecting her, Sharon could see that some part of her still wanted to be a part of her. Now… now Riley's heart had one more wall around it.

Sharon started to raise her hand and reach out for the girl, but then thought better of it.

"I won't make you talk to her." Sharon spoke softly. She could practically sense Riley's fear and discomfort even though it wasn't as clearly written as Rusty's could be. "But you won't get any closure from her hiding."

Riley's eyes glimmered with tears as she looked up at Sharon. Sometimes it hurt seeing what Sharon Raydor did for them, what she did for her own kids, compared to what Sharon Beck did to her and her brother. Why could Sharon Raydor have found them sooner? Why couldn't she had been the person that they called Mom from day one? She would have made them dinner and tucked them into bed rather than drink her dinner and let whatever boyfriend at the time beat the hell out of them.

What did they do to deserve this? And how come Sharon Beck felt she had the right to come back and stir up all these old memories? She had no right. That was it. She had no right or claim on Riley and Rusty at all.

"And you certainly don't have to do any of this alone," Sharon added.

As usual, Sharon Raydor had hit the nail on the head. Riley all but threw herself into Sharon's arms, grabbing tightly to the tailored blazer as tears threatened to fall. Sharon wasted no time pulling Riley just as tight.

"Just because she comes back, you never have to worry about me leaving you, Riley," Sharon told her warmly as she felt Riley's shoulder start to shake.

"You won't leave…?" Riley murmured. It sounded almost like she was trying to convince herself just as much as she was asking Sharon.

"Honey, you are stuck with me," Sharon assured her turning her head just enough to press a kiss to her hair.

A chocked laugh cracked past Riley's tears.

Truthfully, Sharon was not looking forward to seeing Sharon Beck, but she would do it for her kids. She would hold Riley's hand and stand tall for Riley. She would do it.

_Major Crimes_

For some reason, Sharon expected Sharon Beck to resemble Riley more, or for Riley to resemble her. Yet only their basic features seemed anything near Sharon Beck. Blond hair, blue eyes. They weren't even quite the same shade. Riley stood a couple inches shorter than Sharon Beck but they both had small frames. However, the other women's frame seemed to be unhealthily small.

"Sharon Raydor, this is… our mom Sharon Beck," Rusty introduce uneasily. He glanced at his sister who was standing behind Sharon with where she could easily escape out the door if it became too much. She returned his glance and gave him a tight smile. He moved a little closer to her, trying to show her that she had his support too.

The captain noticed and felt her heart swell. Rusty was really a good big brother. She held pride in her boy, even if it felt a little odd to claim him in her head in front of his mother.

She thought of Andy's concern when they were in the morgue together and he overheard her say that Sharon Beck was there. He paled and asked if she needed back up. She knew that it would have been better if they had discussed it before, but Sharon had barely had time to wrap her mind around it herself, much less play twenty questions with Andy. He was just concerned. She knew that, but she was concerned too.

Instead she promised dinner. Riley would probably want him around anyway.

"Before I say anything else, I just want to say how grateful I am to you for taking my children into your home and caring for them. For putting them through school. It's really-it's a miracle to find them like this," Sharon Beck said tearfully, glancing at Rusty. He gave her a supportive small smile while Riley barely contained her eye roll.

Yeah, it was a miracle. One that they never would have had with Sharon Beck.

"You don't need to thank me. Riley and Rusty have both worked so hard. Helping them reach their potential has been a great joy."

The way she said it, the pride in Sharon Raydor's voice made both Riley and Rusty blush. She was so honestly proud of them and happy to have them in her life. Her words held only sincerity.

"Okay," Rusty interrupted with a smile, despite his flushed cheeks. "That's enough about us. Mom, Sharon doesn't have much time." His words were patient, almost like he was talking to child. It drove Sharon mad that Rusty had to act this way toward his own mother.

Sharon Beck shuffled uncomfortable and nodded. "Right, I know, and I'm uh- not really allowed to be out of my treatment program for more than a few hours."

Riley kicked her Keds against the floor as she wished she'd just disappear. She was ashamed that people knew this was where she came from. A druggy mom who ended up in rehab.

"What facility are you staying at?" Sharon Raydor asked, stilling Riley's kicking with a single glance. It wasn't harsh or warning, just acknowledging.

This time their mother ran her hand up and down her thighs uncomfortably. "Um… Signal Hill Recovery, in Long Beach." Each word was slow like she had to drag them out of her throat. By the look on the captain's face there was a reason for it.

"Ah." The captain's lips were pulled into a tight line and her eyebrows nearly furrowed. Of course Sharon Beck didn't check herself into rehab for her, or even her kid's sake. No, she was _forced_ into rehab.

Rusty and Riley both looked at Sharon. They didn't like the look on her face. "Ah?" Rusty repeated, hoping for some sort of clarification. "Why do ya-why do you say it like that?"

Sharon turned to Rusty and could see he was nervous about her answer. Riley on the other hand nearly wanted to disappear.

"Well, Signal Hill is one of the rehab centers LA County uses for, uh, drug sentencing," Provenza told him. Riley's dry chuckle made Sharon glance at the girl. Though there was hostility toward Sharon Beck from Riley all along, now there was something more. Rusty however was more interested in the look on his mother's face. The guilt and shame of being caught. She would have never told them that part.

"What does that mean?" Rusty asked slowly.

"Honey-honey I told you. When we were picked up by the police Gary was sent to jail-" Riley snarled at the name. "-But I wasn't- what I didn't tell you was I was given a choice between going to trial and checking into Signal Hill."

The last four words were said quickly with a forced smile. That pissed Riley off. How could she pretend like she did something so noble? Riley was even the slightest bit relieved when she thought her mother had checked herself into rehab. Maybe she wasn't ready to deal with her at the moment, but one day she might have been. But no. Sharon Beck didn't check herself into rehab with the acknowledgement that she had a problem. No. She chose it over jail.

Rusty seemed to take the news his disappointment and even heartbreak. "Oh." Sharon Beck's face fell, but she had yet to even look at Riley. "So you didn't go into rehab on your own?"

Sharon Raydor almost wanted to reach out to him. He looked so hurt. "Rusty, your mom had a choice and she _chose_ Signal Hill."

Rusty started to nod but Riley jumped in. "She chose Signal Hill over _jail_. Not much of a choice is it?"

The captain turned to the eighteen year old girl who hadn't moved from behind her since they entered the room. "Riley," she warned, her voice tender. Riley silenced, but as Sharon's eyes moved back to the blonde woman in front of her, she caught the tail end of the glare Sharon Beck had sent Riley. "How many days do you have left in your program?" Sharon asked narrowing her eyes.

The tentative smile returned to the other woman's face. "I'm forty-five days sober." There was obvious pride in her voice that had Sharon Raydor smiling encouragingly. "At sixty it become voluntary, but I intent to stay. If they will let me."

"Well," Provenza's voice almost acted as a clap at its suddenness. "It's not voluntary yet. I hate to be the one that brings this up, but we got squeezed on our schedule today so, uh, if we want to get you back on time…"

Sharon Beck stood up and everyone in the room followed. Riley moved further back in the room almost wishing she could disappear in the walls. "Of course, of course. You're busy." Then Sharon Beck turned to Sharon Raydor. "Let me just say, as I've said to Rusty, how-" Sharon Beck let out a shaky sigh as she closed her eyes and forced herself to continue. "-sorry, I am. To have left my little boy and baby girl on their own and for you all to take care of. And I wish I had behaved better." Tears were starting to form in the woman's eyes as she stood before the captain. "And I hope that you all will help me prove that to you."

"Of course," Sharon said with a shake of her head. "Of course we will." Being the hugger that Sharon Raydor was, she opened one arm to the other woman, with a soft "come here" as words of encouragement.

They embraced, but when Sharon tried to pull away Sharon Beck held on still. It was a little awkward, but the hug continued until Sharon Beck let go and looked at Riley. She took a few steps toward Riley, but the girl scurried away like a beaten dog. Realizing she wasn't going to be able to get any closer to the girl, she awkwardly rubbed her hands together.

"I know you don't want to talk to me, and I know I've never been the person you wanted me to be." Tears were rolling down Sharon Beck's cheeks as Riley kept her head pointedly turned toward the window almost wishing it would open and suck her out of it. "But I'm proud of you." The words seemed choked, but earnest in a way that made Riley falter a little. "Rusty said you're going to college for music, and you dance and act now. You were always pretty, but now you're so beautiful Riley.

"I'm sorry for what I've done to you. What I've allowed to happen-"

But Riley held up her hand and shook her head as she made eye contact with her mother for the first time since she walked into the room. "Stop."

The whole room was silent as Sharon Beck swallowed and everyone looked at Riley expectantly. Rusty was afraid she would tell their mother to fuck off or some other variety of the term, while Sharon was sure she was going to state there was no need to waste breath on apologies she wouldn't accept. Provenza… Provenza was just waiting for the girl to bolt.

But Riley surprised them all and she took a few steps toward their mother and looked at her with pleading eyes. "Stay sober, and save your apologies when I can trust you're honesty."

With that, Riley touched her mother's hand but only for a second before falling back into the space behind Sharon, ready for the woman to make her exit.

As soon as the woman was out the door, Rusty looked at their Sharon. The captain. "It's bad isn't it? That she didn't check into rehab on her own?"

"Rusty, how she got there is not as important as what she does with it." Sharon put a supporting hand on Rusty's shoulder.

He let out a breath and nodded. "Okay." With that he too exited the cubical, leaving Sharon and Riley in there alone. Sharon looked at the girl who was still staring out the window. Her eyes had that distant look to them.

"Riley," Sharon called her to earn her attention briefly. Riley's head barely moved, but it was enough to know she was listening. "I'm still here."

That was all she could say. The meaning and depth of her words were heavy in Riley's head as she nodded slowly. Sharon took a few steps out of the cubical and she hurt the soft sound of a strangled sob. It was a hard day on all of them.

Later that night, Andy came over. When they had armed guards at their door every night, Sharon and Andy thought it would be better to put a hold on their relationship. It was already so stressful to deal with two very frustrated teenagers who were at each other's throats half the time for never being able to get away from each other, and sleeping with her gun on her nightstand, if she really wanted to consider that sleeping, because she just knew someone was going to try to get to her kids that night-every night. Dealing with their relationship going public wasn't something Sharon could handle.

So they called themselves friends. Best friends probably. Friends with the occasional something more. But they weren't dating. Not yet anyway.

Both kids were eerily quiet while Sharon and Andy tried to pull them into the conversation. They talked about music, chess, hell it even came down to videogames, but the kids only nodded or hummed. It was sad.

They turned in early, Riley ignoring Sharon's request for her to practice before, leaving Sharon and Andy sitting on the couch with cups of decaf tea.

"They've had it rough," Andy said as though he needed to remind her.

"And I'm not sure where to stand on this. I don't want to see them hurt again." The heartache in her eyes made Andy pull her a little close until she was tucked into his side with her head on his shoulder.

"I know. Just support them all. And I'll be right here to support you."

A smile tugged on her lips as she closed her eyes. The feeling of Andy's lips against her hair made her sigh. He was there. She was there. The kids were there. And no one was going anywhere.


	3. Chapter 3

_It barely registered in Sharon's mind that she ran down flights of stairs with her gun drawn and her feet bare. Her hands didn't shake, her mind was focused. Her kids were in trouble. _

_Training and maternal vengeance had taken over her mind. No one was going to get to her kids. No one was going to harm them. And if they were hurt, a single scratch, Sharon would put a bullet between the responsible party's eyes without hesitation. _

_The moment she reached the door she heard Rusty cry out. "LAPD!" she yelled as she slammed the fire extinguisher against the hand of the door. She couldn't even recall picking the fire extinguisher up or thinking about how she was going to use it. It was just suddenly in her hands and beating down the door. _

_"Help! Help!" Rusty screamed, but she heard nothing from Riley, or even Phantom. It only took three blows before the door came open and she dropped the fire extinguisher reaching for her gun. Somewhere in the back of her mind she was listing all the rules she was breaking, all the protocols. Screw them. She barely had time to taken in that Rusty was okay as they boy scrambled to his feet and pointed toward the hallway. "He's in there! Sharon he went in there!"_

_His voice was almost shrill as he armed himself with a camera tripod, but Sharon kept moving. Her kids wouldn't be safe until this man was gone. She edged her way toward the door and just before she reached it, gun shots exploded. Bullets whizzed by her much closer than they had come in a very long time, if ever. She pulled back, turning her face away from the damage before spinning and squatting in front of the door from the opposite doorway, firing a zigzag of bullets through the door. _

_Waiting barely a second, she pushed the door open and cleared the room. The balcony window was open and she all but ran to it. She could see him as he ran down the sidewalk. _

_"Get him away from the window!" she heard a familiar voice demand but her mind was too foggy to decide who it was. "Check on Riley. Radio for an ambulance."_

_"I see him!" Sharon called, her voice business while her thoughts shot to reasons why they would need an ambulance. _

_She felt someone beside her but she didn't take her eyes off of the man through her gun sight. "Suspect is in the open. He is on foot. Heading east. We need a perimeter now…"_

_Sharon lowered her gun and wished she could just drop it to the floor as she moved back through the bedroom door to the hallway. She tried to catch her breath as she looked for Rusty. He was crouched on the floor next to-_

_Riley and Phantom?_

_She rushed over there, taking the spot beside Rusty and closest to Riley's head. Her hands ran over Riley's face. She was warm, a layer of clammy sweat covering her body, but no blood. _

_"It looks like he hit them both with a sedative," someone to her right said. It should have made her feel better, knowing that Riley would wake up, but she was already thinking about what was going to happen next. What there options were anymore._

_Part of her was sure Taylor was going to intervene and send Riley and Rusty off to some boarding school somewhere without her permission. As much as she dreaded the idea, she had to keep her children safe._

_"Captain?" she turned her head but didn't really see who was talking to her. Her mind was too clouded with emotions. "FID is going to need to talk to you…"_

"Earth to Sharon?"

Nicole's voice nearly made Sharon jump as she turned to look at the young woman staring at her with a smile on her face. Sharon returned the smile somewhat forcibly. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

Riley giggled as Andy flicked flour in her face earning a truer smile from Sharon as she continued kneading the dough for pizza. Their favorite meal when they went over to Andy's for dinner was homemade pizza. Normally it was just Rusty, Riley, Sharon and Andy, but today they had Nicole too since her husband and step-sons were on a "man's trip". Rusty wasn't there yet either, but he was coming by after he spent some time with his mother.

"No, I was just wondering where you went," Nicole replied brushing hair off her forehead with a decently clean spot on her wrist.

Sharon shrugged. "I let my mind go off on things sometimes." She dared a glance over at Riley who had her hair tied back into a long French braid and a hair band in to keep her bangs out of her face. Those blue eyes were sparkling as she moved over to the stove and started stirring the sauce as Andy had instructed her to.

Nicole followed Sharon's eyes to the blonde girl. The first time Nicole had met Riley she had been quietly tucked behind Sharon was they entered her wedding reception. It wasn't the first time she saw her, after all she was very curious who the woman and children were that sat next to her father. But the wedding reception was different. The twins were matching subtly. Riley's cream dress red sash went very well with Rusty's suit with a red shirt and cream tie. At the time Nicole had thought that it was probably true that Sharon picked out the outfits since she was so obviously stylish with her modest lavender dress that looked so absolutely stunning on her as well match her father.

Her dad introduced her to "his friend" Sharon and Sharon's foster kids Riley and Rusty. Rusty offered a less than enthusiastic but polite hello while Riley's was more timid than anything. The girl's bangs hung in her face to block her right eye as she pushed them away nervously. Like a good brother, Rusty moved closer to her, nudging her with his shoulder. Nicole watched with the slightest amount of envy when her father put his arm over her shoulders for a moment before running a hand down her hair.

It was at that moment that she realized her father was not the same man she knew him to be. This was not the drunk whom her mother cried over, this was not the man who she mostly knew from his absence, no this was a man who offered support to fragile subjects.

But that fragile girl she met on her wedding day was not nearly as soft and shaken as she was before. Rusty wasn't the same attitude bubbling just below the surface boy either.

"I can't imagine how you dealt with everything for the past two years," Nicole mused quietly, shaking her head. "I mean, my boys may haven't been with me for that long, but to know they were in danger…"

Sharon repressed the shiver that ran down her spine. "They're safe now," she said with finality. Except for the fact Sharon Beck was back in their life and she was halfway waiting for that shoe to drop. Still, she could pick up those pieces, she couldn't heal bullet wounds.

"Why are you always on your toes?" Andy teased as Sharon noticed Riley was standing in revele`. "Doesn't that hurt?"

Riley grinned at him and shook his head. "No, because you all are so much taller than me I have to be on my toes for my head to come up to you chin!"

Nicole smirked. It was true, the girl was just so tiny. Granted Sharon wasn't exactly short and Nicole herself was even taller. It was like the whole city of LA towered over the petite girl. Then again… Rusty wasn't very tall either.

"It's all that ballet," Andy reasoned with a big smile. "You going to give Emily a run for her money?"

At the mention of the real ballerina in the family, Riley gave him a get real look. "I'm in musical theatre, Andy. I'm not a ballerina."

Sharon cleared her throat lightly. "No, but you're becoming quite the triple threat." The big smile Riley gave Sharon was one that Nicole could remember getting from the boys when she managed to say just the right thing at just the right thing. Riley moved over to stand next to her pseudo mother and leaned against her soft cashmere

There were a lot of notes that Nicole found herself taking around Sharon. It was obvious that Sharon had control of almost every situation but never to a degree where she was controlling people. There was so many subtleties that she would plant and just remind people she was there was their biggest supporter and number one fan.

"Sharon? Riley?" Rusty's voice called from the front door as he let himself into Andy's home. Nicole quietly mused how comfortable even the kids were with coming and going, but _no_ her father was no dating this woman.

"In the kitchen!" Andy called for them.

In an instant Riley was running around the island in the kitchen, scaring the huge sleeping dog on the couch. "Did you bring-" she tripped over the edge of the rug causing everyone hold their breath until she steadied herself and continued. "it?"

Sharon let out her breath as she shook her head. Dance had not improved Riley's grace. "Bring what?" she dared to ask. In the past, she had learned that sometimes things between the twins were just better left between them. They had their own odds and ends of entertaining each other with crude jokes and sometimes props.

Riley's giggles told Sharon that the answer was yes.

"Riley!"

"Oh God! How did you find it?!"

"Hey! I waited for you to take a bite, give it back!"

Sure enough the girl came running back into the kitchen with both Rusty and Phantom following her. There was some sort of wrapper in her hand before she tucked it behind her back and grinned up at Sharon. "Do you trust me?"

"Oh how I hate that question," Nicole groaned shaking her head.

"It's a question you will only learn to hate more," Sharon replied before she returned her attention to Riley. She offered her hand out and Riley pouted, realizing that Sharon was not going to play her game. Riley slapped a candy bar in Sharon's hands. A _What-Cha-Ma-Call-It_. The sight of the old fashioned candy bar mad both Sharon and Andy smile.

"This are from before your time," Sharon mused breaking off a corner and sticking it in her mouth.

"The lady who used to teach me piano would give me two, one for me and one for Rusty. They were usually a little out of date. Apparently her son used to fill vending machines or something." Riley reached to take off another piece but Sharon pulled it away.

"After dinner," Sharon chided making Riley pout.

Rusty chuckled to himself as he fell into step beside Nicole. "How much longer until we can throw these things in the oven?" he asked as Andy spread sauce over the rounded dough.

"Just got to pick toppings-"

"Extra cheese-"

"And pepperoni!"

The twins grinned at each other while Sharon rolled her eyes. Normally she would demand some vegetables but it wasn't a battle worth having when they both seemed to be in such excellent moods.

While the pizza cooked, Sharon made herself comfortable on the couch next to Andy, Phantom was at her feet while Riley laid next to the large dog on the floor. Nicole had claimed the more stylish arm chair while Rusty chose the most comfortable one.

Nicole couldn't help but imagine her mother's comments if she had seen this. Or perhaps her lack of comments. She would probably be stunned to silence which was a rare moment for her mother.

"So how's school going, guys?" Nicole asked smiling as Sharon handed Andy a mug of tea instead of the coffee he had requested. It really was like they were a family.

Both twins shrugged simultaneously. "It's school."

Sharon smirked at the look on Nicole's face when the twins managed to do something so in sync without so much as a glance at each other. They also didn't find it nearly as interesting as everyone else in the room did.

"I'm glad to be out of St. Joseph's soon though," Riley added sitting up and looking at Nicole. "No more uniforms!"

"The uniforms aren't _that_ bad," Rusty countered.

Riley rolled her eyes. "Says the person who gets to wear pants." The girl leaned into the back of the couch, ending up right beside Sharon's legs.

The whole evening was one of the most normal family experiences Nicole had ever had with her father. Riley and Rusty had really enjoyed themselves as well, and by the look on their faces they knew how lucky they had gotten.

After dinner, Sharon chose to bow out early and take Rusty and Riley with her since they had school the next morning. Nicole hugged her before Andy walked them out. Nicole watched from the window as he hugged Riley tightly and clapped a supportive hand on Rusty's shoulder before they climbed into one car. Both her father and Sharon watched as the kids backed out of the driveway before they turned to each other.

There was an ever gentle smile on Sharon's face as Andy said something. Her hand went out and brushed down his bicep to his wrist before his caught her hand with his. Nicole smiled at their tenderness. They would be embarrassed to know that she was watching all this, but she couldn't help her curiosity.

A few more words were said before Andy leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Sharon's lips. They smiled at each other for a few seconds before Andy pulled the driver's door open and allowed her to climb in. They laughed a little bit more before Sharon leaned in for one more kiss before sitting down in her seat and Andy shutting the door.

Andy almost had a skip in his step as he smiled to himself, his eyes downcast in thought as he moved back to his front door. As soon as he walked through the door, Nicole stood leaning against the wall grinning at him.

"Just friends, huh?"

Andy rolled his eyes and put his arm around his daughter's shoulders. "Some things are more complicated than they seem."

Nicole hummed. "And some things are never as complicated as we'd like to think they are."

_**Out of curiosity is there anything you all would like to see in this story with Riley and Rusty? **_


End file.
